FC Tucson (5-5-12, 11th Place) vs Union Omaha (10-10-3, 2nd Place)
All competitions: TUC (6-5-13) vs OMA (14-10-4)
Kino North Stadium – Tucson, Arizona
9:00 PM (CST) ESPN+
Union Omaha has only three roads games remaining in the regular season and tonight, the Owls travel to Tucson to finish the season series against FC Tucson. Kickoff is scheduled for 9 PM (CST) and you can find the broadcast on ESPN+.
With mere weeks left in the season, last-placed FC Tucson continues to find itself on the playoff radar. FC Tucson has 8 games left in their regular season, is 13 points away from the playoff line, and needs every point possible to stay relevant in the playoff discussions. In their last five weeks, the club has picked up seven points and looks to be acting more like an agent of chaos than a playoff contender. That chaos could extend a week further with a result tonight.
In Week 23, FC Tucson played two games: an away game at Central Valley Fuego FC and a home game against Charlotte Independence. Despite losing by a goal to Fuego, Tucson was able to return the favor against Charlotte and win by a goal. The results eked them three points closer to their closest neighbor in the standings – North Carolina FC, with whom they have a game in hand. With a win tonight, FC Tucson would jump past North Carolina FC and remove themselves from last place, where they’ve resided since Week 10. In order to do so, they’ll need to maintain their strong defensive performances while continuing to find offensive production on the opposite end of the field.
On offense, FC Tucson has found goal production in unlikely places: midfielder Louis Pérez and defender Donny Toia, who each lead the club with four goals. Pérez also flexes as the shooter and chance creator of the team, leading the club in shots (26), assists (6), and chances created (40). Another unlikely source of goal production comes from defender, a former Union Omaha player, Jacob Crull. His two goals on the season ties him with forwards Fernando Garcia and Franco Pérez.
Across 22 games this season, FC Tucson has scored 23 goals. At home, FC Tucson has scored eight goals in ten games. In their last five home games, FC Tucson has scored five goals while allowing six, which speaks to the general trend of their season – they’ve had more games decided by a single goal than any club in USL League One. This is a club that keeps the scoreline tight and plays to the final whistle.
Union Omaha’s reign atop the USL League One standings lasted 96 hours and was the only span of time where the Owls could be observed in their perch. Luckily, Union Omaha has momentum on their side, having defeated Forward Madison and Chattanooga Red Wolves after having gone down a man in both contests. The red card seen against the Red Wolves, shown to forward Corey Hertzog, was rescinded and Hertzog is available to play in tonight’s game, whether he plays is another debate. Next week, Union Omaha has a midweek home game against Richmond, followed by a weekend home game against Greenville – the two other clubs closely-contesting Union Omaha for the first-round bye in the playoffs. Union Omaha manager Jay Mims will have to be mindful of load management, injuries, and card accumulation as these three games are played in less than a week.
FC Tucson and Union Omaha have the kind of relationship that is best suited by their distance. Including last year’s playoff game, Union Omaha has won eight of the nine games ever played and remains undefeated in four games at Kino North Stadium. While the scoreline and record favors Union Omaha, the real contest between these two sides involves yellow cards and red cards. Yes, plural for both.
In the first 5 matchups, FC Tucson earned 10 yellow cards to Union Omaha’s 15 and neither side saw a single red card. That all seemed to change on the fateful night when FC Tucson and Union Omaha played at Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. That night, FC Tucson earned five yellows cards to Union Omaha’s two. Across the remaining 4 games, Morrison included, the clubs would go on to earn 33 cards. Even though a straight red card has never been shown, the past three games have featured a red card. Aside from last year’s playoff game, every game has been a low-scoring affair. The same cannot be said regarding yellow and red cards.
If the Owls are to reclaim first place in the standings, they have to win tonight. Make sure you are in front of the television to support the Owls and cheer them on to victory. With each passing week, the race gets tighter and tighter, so don’t miss out on any of the action ahead. Stay tuned to Who Gives A Hoot for more content as the regular season ends and the playoffs approach. Wear the colors, cheer loudly, and as always…¡Viva Búhos!
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